Band-saw mill



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. S. RICHARDS. BAND SAW MILL.

No. 446,293. Patented Feb. 10, 1891.

UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

EPHRAIM S. RICHARDS, OF MARION, INDIANA.

BAN'D- SAW MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,293, dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed July 12, 1890. Serial No. 358,549. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LEPHRAIMS. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Band-Saw Mill, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to band-saw mills; and it has for its object, first, to so construct the saw-carrying wheels or pulleys as to permit the rims thereof to expand by centrifugal force when the machine is in operation without being restrained from such expansion by the spokes, which restraint is one of vthe greatest causes of the wheels or pulleys bursting asunder when run at a high rate of speed.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the upper saw-carrying shaft as to equalize the. strain of the saw upon both ends thereof and to prevent slack in the saw.

A further object of my invention is to construct a band-saw mill which shall be simple, durable, efi'ective in operation, and which shall requirebut little attention, and in which the band-saw shall be automatically fitted to its carrying-pulleys, thereby preventing danger of breakage, avoiding the frequent stoppages occasioned by such breakage and increasing the life of the saw.

With these ends in view my invention consists of the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a front View of a band-saw mill equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the upper sawshaft on the line 3 8 in Fig. 2. Fig. etisa vertical sectional view-taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of one of the saw-carryingwheels or pulleys.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 designates the base or platform, which is mounted upon suitable. supports 2 2, and is provided with brackets or hangers 3, forming bearings for the shaft 4, carrying the lower saw-carryin g wheel or pulley 5.

6 6 designate a pair of columns or uprights mounted vertically upon the base or platform 1. Upon said columns, which may be cylindrical or of any other suitable shape, are mounted the vertically-sliding boxes 7 7, the lower ends of which are connected by a transverse bar or brace 8, having a downwardlyextending screw-threadedstem or standard 9, which extends through the base or platform 1, and is provided with a check-nut 10, hearing against the said platform and which may be adjusted to effect any desired vertical adjustment of the transverse baror brace 8 and the boxes 7 carried by the latter.

The vertically-adjustable boxes 7 are provided in front of the columns or uprights 6 with bearings for the vertically-adjustable rods 11, at the upper ends of which are hinged the boxes 12, in which the upper saw-carrying shaft 13, carrying the Wheel or pulley 14, is journaled- The lower ends of the rods 11 which extend through the boxes 7, are sharpened, as shown at 15, and the sharpened edges are made to bear against levers 16, pivoted at the ends of the transverse bar or brace 8. The latter is provided with an upwardly-extending arm 17, at the upper end of which ispivotally mounted a lever 18, which'is preferably placed at right angles to said brace 8. The inner ends of the lever 16 are connected by links 19 with a connectingrod 20, which is in turn connected by a link 21 with the short inner end of the lever 18. Upon the outer end of the latter a weight22 is adj ustably mounted.

23 designates the saw, which is mounted to run over the wheels or pulleys 5 and 14.

The saw-carrying wheels 5 and-14, which are usedin connection with my invention, are both constructed alike, and each comprises the hub 2 1, the spokes 25, and the rim 26. Each of the spokes 25 is provided with an elliptical opening 27, which is preferably formed near the outer end of the spoke and at right angles to the axis of the wheel. By this construction the wheel, whether constructed of cast or wrought iron or of any other material or combination of materials, acquires a certain degree of resiliency which enables the rim, when the wheel is run at a high rate of speed, to expand to a certain degrec in an outward direction without danger of breaking. This is especially important in a machine of this class which is necessarily 7 the drawings hereto annexed.

run at a very high rate of speed, and in which, moreover, it is necessary that the band-sawin orderto be thoroughly effective should be mounted tightly upon the wheels. construction of the pulleys the tendency of the saw to become slack at the point Where it enters the cut is in a great measure avoided and the effectiveness of the saw is correspondingly enhanced.

The operation and ad vantages of my in vention Will be readilyunderstood from'the foregoing description, taken in connection with wheels,in addition to the advantages already pointed out, are at allv times sure to retain a true'cireular shape, and they will for this reason lose none of their effectiveness for transmitting power. The upper saw-carryingshaft may'be readily adjusted by means of the vertically-sliding boxes '7, the transverse brace 8, and the screw-threaded standard 9 to enable the saw to be removed or replaced and to adjust the position of said shaft to saws or bands of varying lengths. By means of the vertically-sliding rods supporting the said upper saw-shaft and the levers supporting the said rods the strain upon the ends of the saw-shaft is equalized and the slack in the band-saw is automatically taken up, causing the saw to run true and steady atall times. I

The general construction of my improved band-saw mill is simple and inexpensive, and it may be successfully operated with less attention than band-saw mills of ordinary construction.

I have herein shown and described a simple form of myinvention; but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to any modifications and alterations which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

By this The band- Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The band-W11 eels having spokes provided with elliptical slits or openings at right angles to the axes of said wheels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a band-saw mill, the combination of theplatform the columns or uprights mounted upon the same, the vertically-sliding boxes mounted on said uprights, the rods mounted to slide vertically in said boxes and having hinged bearings at their upper ends, the shafts journaled in said hinged bearings, the levers supporting the verticallysliding rods, and the links and connecting-rod connecting said supporting-levers with a weighted lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a band-saw mill, the combination of the base or platform having hangers or brackets and the shaft journaled in the latter, the

columns or uprights, the boxes mounted slidingly upon said columns and connected by a bar or brace having a downwardly-extending screw-threaded stem extending through the platform and provided with a check-nut, the

rods mounted to slide verticallyin said boxes, the levers hinged to the transverse brace and supporting the lower ends of said rods, the links and rods connecting the inner ends of said supporting-levers with a weighted lever,-

the boxes hinged at the upper ends of the vertically-sliding rods, the shaft journaled in said boxes, the wheels or pulleys mounted upon the upper and loWer shafts and having spokes provided with elliptical openings, and the band-saw mounted upon said wheels or pulleys, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EPIIRAIM S. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

ELIAS D. SALSBURY, WILLIAM C. I'IAFER. 

